Air Canada cancelled all flights to and from the United States for the evening on Friday as a nationwide U.S. ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration disrupted travel across North America.
Following a communication issue that affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, the Federal Aviation Administration put a nationwide ground stop into effect for all airports across the U.S., according to the organization. The disruption halted flights to and from the country on Friday afternoon, creating immediate bottlenecks at international aviation hubs.
Prior to the lifting of the ground stop, Air Canada said that it was calling off all its U.S.-bound and originating flights for the rest of the evening. Flights between Canada, the Caribbean, and South America that transit U.S. airspace were also impacted by the telecommunications failure.
Due to the @FAANews ground stop, NAV CANADA is implementing traffic management measures at Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary and Vancouver to safely manage traffic volumes. Travellers should expect delays and check with their airline. Our systems are operating normally.
Other carriers flying to and from Montreal and the rest of Canada experienced disruptions, including Porter Airlines and WestJet. More than 50 flights to or from the U.S. had been cancelled at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport alone, according to the flight-tracking service FlightAware. Nationwide, more than 6,700 flights were affected across the United States.
Ground Stop Lifted and Operations Resuming
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ground stop around 8:15 p.m. on Friday. Montreal-Trudeau reported in a statement later in the evening that operations were gradually returning to normal.
“The FAA has confirmed that the ground stop has been lifted, and operations are gradually returning to normal,” Montreal-Trudeau said. “Some flights may still be affected tomorrow. We encourage travellers to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.”
Dozens of travellers at Trudeau airport lingered around the U.S. departures check-in desks on Friday evening, pressing airline staff with questions. Brigitte, a Montrealer scheduled to fly to San Francisco on Friday night to visit her newborn grandson, faced a cancellation due to the ground stop.
She expressed frustration but said that “you can’t control it,” adding that she expected to depart on a new flight Saturday morning while noting things had gone smoothly on the Canadian end.
Eric Forest, a spokesperson for Trudeau airport, stated earlier in the day that the facility was ready to accept diverted flights from the U.S. if needed. “All teams at ADM Aéroports de Montréal are monitoring the situation,” Forest said in a statement to The Gazette. “Travelers are encouraged to check their flight schedule with their air carrier.”
Mullin Reassures Public as Officials Investigate Telecommunication Outage
In Washington, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin addressed reporters amid the chaos to reassure the public. “Everybody is safe. Flights are accounted for, and there should be no fear to the public at all,” Mullin said. “This isn’t another 9/11. This is a telecommunication outage.”
U.S. officials generally blamed old technology being overwhelmed by new technology upgrades, though the exact cause remained under investigation on Friday evening. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Mullin stated at the White House just minutes after the ground stop ended that there were no indications of any cyberattack. Mullin added, however, that “we are still looking, and we’re not going to rule it out.”
CNN said that Friday’s occurrence marked the first nationwide U.S. ground stop since a pilot advisory computer system failed in January 2023. Prior to that incident, the last nationwide ground stop occurred in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
A previous telecommunications failure in September also affected Canadian airports when construction workers accidentally severed a telecommunications cable in New Jersey, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to halt flights at several major northeastern U.S. airports and causing delays and cancellations in Montreal and Quebec City.
Canadian Air Traffic Systems Operate Normally Despite Airport Delays
North of the border, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon posted on X that Canadian air traffic control systems were operating normally and that the government remained in contact with NAV Canada. “I want to reassure Canadians that our air traffic management systems continue to function normally,” MacKinnon wrote.
We are aware of a nationwide ground stop in the United States currently affecting multiple airports. We are monitoring the situation closely and remain in contact with NAV CANADA. While Canadian systems are operating normally, travel to the United States may be disrupted as a…
To safely handle passenger volume, NAV Canada announced it was putting traffic control procedures in place at the airports in Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver. “Travellers should expect delays and check with their airline. Our systems are operating normally,” NAV Canada posted on X.
| Incident Date | Triggering Event | Scope of Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2001 | Terrorist attacks | Nationwide U.S. ground stop |
| January 2023 | Computer system failure (NOTAM) | Nationwide U.S. ground stop |
| September 2026 | Severed telecommunications cable | Northeastern U.S. and Canadian delays |
| November 13, 2026 | Telecommunications communication issue | Nationwide U.S. ground stop and cross-border flight cancellations |
Montreal-Trudeau is warning that flights may still be affected on Saturday.
